How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book for so many reasons.
The pictures are lovely and a really memorable thing for me is the smiley faces, all through the faces are happy, this gives a really happy jolly vibe from the start.
Reading this book was like a happy adventure!
The text was really descriptive and the language used perfect for children.

Farting contest!!!! this had me in stitches
"Sorry, Frieda, i can't fart right now. i'm looking for someone!"
This is a wonderful book that is great to read to kids of a wide age range.
Definately one i will be buying and enjoying reading over and over.
If i could give more than 5 stars i would!

I had to comment on this book because it is so uniquely great. This is a young female protagonist who loves the outdoors and reading, a combination I don't often see in books for my kids, especially for my daughter. We live at a time when a girl like this is "quirky," but that says more about us than the character. Too many books have the kid characters "performing" our ideas about kids; this book treats the little girl as she is: adventurous, imaginative, curious, and funny, as well as a kindred spirit to animals. And the love of books and reading comes across throughout. It's an original and fun book about sharing the joy of reading with a new friend. My kids loved it.

This is an adorable read about a girl who loves reading and a bear who does too. The previous reviews say the mention of a young girl farting wasn't necessary and that leaving food out for a bear is dangerous. As educators, it is our place to share fiction as well as non-fiction with our kids. Not only do girls fart, but one day a man will probably tell them not to and it is a parents' place to keep girls being kids for as long as they can. And if you think farting has no place in kids' literature or the classroom, then you've never been in one. The days are long and if we don't have humour to add a little sparkle to our lessons, then they are longer. Sure leaving food out for a bear is dangerous, but so is leaving out carrots for reindeer. We teach all our kids to do that! Of course there will always be folks who take stories too literally, but I hope future readers disregard their reviews. I really loved this book and I'll be requesting that my school order a couple copies.

How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is a beautifully written story with a somewhat classic feel and gorgeous illustrations. The attention to detail in the prose and in the illustrations (especially the backgrounds) makes this book stand out. The lush, bright colours and ever-smiling characters set a joyful tone from beginning to end.

It clearly conveys the joys of reading while being set outdoors, which would make it a great companion for a trip at the cottage. The main character, Julia, is an independent and driven little girl.

All in all, this is a great book.

I loved this book from start to finish. The illustrations are stunning and are critical to the story. As the reader takes them in, you cannot help but fall in love with a bear who loves to read and that wears glasses. I could see this book being used at the beginning of the year to introduce the classroom library and to get students excited about reading all the books.

This is a cute story about a little girl named Julia that wants to meet a bear. She has lots of woodland friends that she talks to about her desire to hug a bear. Julia loves to read and she was reading a book about bears and learned lot of things to help her find one, such as they love honey and blueberries. Both of those things failed to bring a bear to her. Then she found a treehouse and inside was a bear sleeping surrounded by books. Julia has found her bear! You will need to read the story to find out how that meeting went. The only thing that might be disagreeable to some of the parents is that the book talks about farting contest. That could raise some eyebrows with some parents. The illustrations were so cute and the concept of the story was very sweet.

I love this picture book. The illustrations are just glorious.

When I read a book to my students I like for them to predict. So before reading, I’d ask them how would YOU catch a bear who loves to read, record the responses and revisit after reading.

I loved the vocabulary: absorbed in a book, Plunged back into the story, and Fortunate acquaintance this has been... I would nor stop to elaborate the terms as I read, but would go back after reading and say, what does absorbed mean and let them figure it out from the context.

The end with hugs is priceless.

What I really didn’t like was the use of the word fart. I felt there would have been a better term for children. But that’s one opinion. I wouldn’t throw out the baby with the bath water.

All in all, this is a really good book and the illustrations are completely engaging, especially the bear’s house in the tree. I’d like to find that house on VRBO. Smile

Oh my, do I love “How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read.” It tells the tale of spirited Julia, who has many friends in the forest near her home ... Scotty the squirrel with whom she climbs trees, Abigail the groundhog who plays hide-and-seek with her — and even Frieda the skunk, with whom she has farting contests! 😀

But inspired by a book, she decides to bring honey to the woods to attract a bear, one she dreams of meeting and playing with and hugging. Don’t we all? 🐻❤️

But she learns that bears are not just drawn by sweet smells in this warm story about an adventurous little girl with a big heart who loves reading and bearnormous hugs! 5/5

Pub Date 06 Nov 2018

Thanks to Chouette Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#HowToCatchAbearWhoLovesToRead #NetGalley

Bored with more typical animals, Julia wants to meet a bear. Having read it a book—not Winnie the Pooh—to get it to show up, she sets out some honey. It doesn’t help, but she keeps trying.
Why would anyone have a farting contest with a skunk? Not only are you bound to lose, but. . . does she have a nose?
I guess in a world where animals talk, a treehouse that big isn’t so unrealistic. Getting a bear up there, though. . .
The artwork feels strange. It’s not trying to be realistic, and that’s fine, but somehow the little girl’s face is too pronounced. But the colors are bright and enticing.

A young girl Julia has animal friends throughout the forest where she lives, but none of the is a bear.
Julia decides she wants a bear as friend and sets out to get herself one.

In between farting contests with her skunk friend and reading books about bears Julia finds new tracks in the woods. After identifying the tracks as those of a bear and with the help of her friends, fueled by youthful curiosity Julia follows the tracks. Julia follows those bear tracks over the river and through the woods, up a tree and into a bear's house! A bear, his house and his books, Julia finds a bear friend that loves reading as much as she does and they bond over this shared passion

A short and sweet story about new friendship.

I read this with my youngest and she loved the pictures, story, and the idea that there's a bear who loves to read. It was a fun read overall, though I could have done without the flatulence jokes along the way.

As a practicing Child Psychiatrist and psychotherapist, I am always on the lookout for children's books which can be entertaining and helpful to the children and families with whom I work. "How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read" fulfills both criteria! It lovingly tells of the adventure of a young girl, friends with multiple forest animals, who seeks to find a bear. Without providing spoilers, there are several themes of note, including the gift of friendship, dealing with setbacks, and the power of adventure in capturing a young one's imagination, as well as the extolling of reading and the power books have to create bonds of affection and empathy, including for the natural world. Parents looking for stories with strong female characters will find this here! Highly recommended.

My kids' reviews of How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read:
My eldest (10)- “I thought it was a pretty good book and super awesome for kids 8 and under. My favourite part was the part where Julia found the bear with her book and then when she gave him a hug. Good use of descriptive vocabulary.”
My middle one (7) loved the illustrations and all their detail and gave a HUGE smile when Julia asked for a hug. "I just liked the whole story. And I also like honey so that was cool and the farting contest was funny."
My youngest (5): "I liked listening to the book. I liked the part when they hugged."
And they all thought the humour was great.
I would definitely read this to my Kindergarten class and talk about how you never know what someone might like or be interested in until you ask them or get to know them.

A little girl who loves to read wants a bear to hug. Enticements of Honey and Blueberries are used by this little girl Julia. When her book disappears she is given her dream of a Bear Hug. Delightful story for a young school age student. "A copy of this book was provided by Chouette Publishing
CrackBoom! Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Let me begin by stating that How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is a wonderful book. The authors, Andrew Katz and Juliana Leveille-Trudel have produced a tale that sparkles with the innocence of childhood and the wonder of new discoveries and the importance of friendship. The main character, Julia, is an adventurous young girl who understands the importance of friendship and acceptance of others and their differences.

Painted in vivid, charming language, the text follows Julia's quest to catch a bear who loves to read. Joining Julia on her travels through the woods, always rooted to her forest home, the reader is introduced to a variety of Julia's wildness friends, with whom she engages in friendly banter as they help or hinder her in the search. Without giving away the ending, it must be said that the text affirms its dedication to friendship, understanding, sharing and tolerance for others.

No comment on this book would be complete without a word or two on the illustrations and design of the book. The layout of the text, in an easily digestible size, allows for an ease of reading suitable for a variety of ages. The illustrations, by Joseph Sherman compliment the story and help to bring it to life in a bright and agreeable manner, depicting Julia and her friends in a fashion that is entirely fitting with the spirit of the text

How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is a book that will appeal to young readers, and also to adults who wish to revisit the lost innocence and charm of youth.

"How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read" is a book about Julia's (the main character's) wish to meet a bear. When I read the book with my six year old, whose eyes widened when the bear appeared, I realized that the story affirms the power of Julia's imagination. The plot, the writing and the illustrations all draw the reader into an enchanting place. (My six year old was totally absorbed in the rich detail of the images, pointing things out, asking questions, as if the forest were a real place.) Julia wishes the bear to life with the help of her love of reading, and encourages the reader's belief in the strength of the imagination to create adventure, comfort, love, and a safe place to explore the world.

This is a magical story that children will love about the importance of stories and readers.

Very interesting book. Lovely colourful vivid illustrations. It is about a little girl who wants to meet a bear. What do they share - Love for reading books

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read by Andrew Katz and Juliana Leveille-Trudel is a cute story about a little girl named Julia who has lots of friends, but she really would love to meet a bear! One that is cuddly and loves to play, one that she could float down the stream with on a sunny day. One who loves to read!?


With lovely illustrations and a playful storyline, this book is sure to please both children and adults alike - parents may not appreciate the farting contest, but I'm sure it will tickle the imagination of a child reader.

Julia goes to the forest and has lots of talking animal friends like the Scotty the Squirrel, Frieda the skunk and Abigail the groundhog. Each have something they do with her like climb a tree, play hide and seek or have farting contests. One day Julia gets the idea she wants to hug a bear. So she puts out honey and that does not work. Then she puts out blueberries and honey. She takes a nap while reading under her favorite tree and while sleeping her book goes missing. She notices blueberry footprints and with the help of her friends she finds a tree with a house at the top. At the top in the house is a bear with lots of books. It goes on a little more from there. The characters in this book are charming and Julia is a very determined young lady she is going to meet a bear. This book is on my high recommend list for any child.

I would recommend this positive story to any children and parents with adventurous spirits! The pictures are engaging and colorful, and there is so much detail and perspective to the backgrounds that you feel like you are truly joining Julia and her friends on their adventure. The text is humorous without being over the top: I wish the book a “bearnormous” success!

Such a sweet story about a girl looking for a bear! It had great illustrations and a captivating, easy to follow plot line. Very cute!

Today I read the book ‘How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read’. What a wonderful story about friendship, perseverance, the love of nature and best of all reading. I am the director of a summer camp for girls and young women, and it does my heart good to see such a strong, imaginative, curious and kind young female heroine depicted in these pages. The story is also a fun read for any child and a great book for parents to read to their children. The authors lead us down a wonderful path of adventure and discovery and the illustrations are fresh and beautiful. I would recommend this book to any parents who wish for their children to discover what playing in the outdoors and reading can bring to them.

Julia is very popular when it comes to forest friends. Scotty the squirrel loves to climb trees with her, Abigail the groundhog plays hide-in-seek with her, and she has farting contests with Freida the skunk. ( Kids will love that component I'm sure). There is one animal that Julia is longing to meet and that is a bear. She imagines the fun of getting a big old bear hug from a real live bear! Sounds like heaven.

Julia loves books and loves to read. One day while immersed in a book about bears she decides to bring a pot of honey into the woods to see if she can entice one to try a little sweet snack. Unfortunately that doesn't work but Scotty the squirrel loves it. The next day she leaves a basket of blueberries in plain sight hoping to lure one in. There that should do the trick she surmises.

On her return from lunch she discovers big, blue paw prints and that her book is gone! Oh my! Adventurous Julia follows the paw-print trail and what she discovers not only fulfills her dreams but leads her to wonderful friend who loves books just as much as she does. She "bearly" can contain her happiness as her kindred spirit wraps her in a hug.

The illustrations are full of action, detail, fun and happiness. I love a book where the overall theme is the wonder and joy of "reading books." I highly recommend this book.

Another book in which I have found a BFF character, I think Julia and I would make great friends. She too loves reading, hugs, and adventures. She is a little braver than I am, setting up a plan to catch a bear. Making several attempts throughout the book, she is very persistent in making her dream a reality. I think the bear Julia finds would also make a good buddy, his library in the forest is absolutely astonishing! Doesn't the idea sound amazing? Sitting down and reading with a big live bear... I think, for now, I will cuddle with a stuffed teddy bear or two.

What animal would you like to read with?

Cute story for a read aloud in K-2nd grade classrooms. It has nice themes of friendship and problem solving. The book features great vocabulary as well. The nature setting and the personalities of the assorted characters are enjoyable, but something in the humanization of the animals felt just a little bit off. The illustrations are vivid and will be a hit with young readers.

Wonderful descriptions, lovely scenery depiction throughout the book, and a great story from start to finish. A girl set out with a goal and ended up accomplishing it, and more! She wanted to meet a bear and discovered that she had more in common with the bear than she expected to! They enjoyed reading.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the tall tree and the house full of shelves and shelves of books.. it was great!

This is a beautiful story about making new friends and read lovely stories together. I loved the pictures along with the story.

Curious and daring Julia tries everything to find a bear with the help of her forest friends– to no avail. But when the book she’s reading disappears, leaving only some blueberry paw prints in its wake, Julia embarks on a quest that will bring her to the heart of the mystery– and face to face with a surprising new friend!
“How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read” is a heartwarming story that celebrates adventurous girls and finding friendship in the most unexpected places. I was thrilled to discover this is a story of a girl who farts, a girl who climbs, a girl who leaps at the chance for adventure– a girl whose friends are forest creatures but who is bold and daring and perfectly able to go it alone. Beautifully written with stunning illustrations that capture the fun and wonder of the forest. READ THiS BOOK!

A little girl who loves the woods, books, and animals? Yes please!

This was a super cute story about a little girl who wants nothing so much as to give a bear a hug. She has woodland animals friends that she can play with, but she just REALLY wants to meet that bear! She decides to try to catch one using whatever means she can think of, with little success. Then one day, she leaves her precious book in the forest...

I loved the bright cheerfulness of the illustrations in this book. They really made the woods come alive in the best possible way, and will hopefully encourage more children to think of the woods as happy, welcoming places, not a place to be feared.

Best line: "But she couldn't leave without her book..." And every booklover ever can relate.

Please note: review will be live at the link below on 4 Nov 2018.

How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read by Andrew Katz is a delightful story of a little girl named Julia who with the help of her forest friends, skunk, groundhog and squirrel decides to find a bear just to give him a hug.

Inspired by the book she is reading she tries different things to make the bear come to her. Children will have to read this book to find out if Julia was successful in her quest.

I loved beautifully painted animals which complemented the story perfectly. It shows that forest animals are not to be feared but cherished. This sweet and heartfelt story which will encourage children to dream of unusual friendships and love their fellow creatures.

I especially liked how bear goes around looking for books to read and how both him and the girl share a passion for well told stories.

This book would appeal to a variety of young readers . The author is familiar with his young audience and was able to show this through his characters and setting . All children love animals and to connect a bear to reading will certainty make young readers like this book.

Who doesn't want to meet a bear to have picnics with or give bear hugs to? But how do you go about finding one? That is the problem that Julia is having. Until she leaves the book she's been reading next to a basket of blueberries. When she comes back to get her book it's gone! And there are some strange prints nearby, but whose could they be? My daughter immediately wanted me to reread this one!